NEW PALTZ, N.Y. - Cortland won the opening set before dropping the next three in a four-set loss to SUNYAC co-leader New Paltz in a conference matchup at New Paltz. The Red Dragons opened with a 25-21 win, but the Hawks took the next three, 25-16, 25-14 and 25-22.

Cortland (14-15) has two conference matches left Saturday versus Plattsburgh at 10 a.m. and Buffalo State at 3 p.m., both at New Paltz. Cortland is currently tied for fifth place with Geneseo in the league standings at 3-4, a game ahead of both Buffalo State and Fredonia (each 2-5) and two ahead of Plattsburgh (1-6).

The top six teams qualify for the SUNYAC tournament Nov. 6-8 at the regular-season champion. New Paltz and Brockport are currently tied for first at 7-0, with Oswego and Oneonta tied for third at 5-2.

Sophomores Janine Patora (Salt Point/Arlington) and Courtney Silberer (Centereach) led Cortland versus New Paltz with 11 kills each. Junior Samantha Czeczotka (Elwood/John H. Glenn) registered eight kills with just one error in 17 attempts for a .412 attack percentage.

Junior Liz Roberts (Island Park/West Hempstead) finished with 37 assists, 11 digs and three blocks, and junior Melanie McGuirk (Lido Beach/Kellenberg) led the team with three aces and 12 digs.

Anna Paulik led New Paltz (17-8) with 11 kills and 12 digs. Becca Borquist and Katy Braddon had 10 kills each and Morgan Roessler finished with eight kills and a .500 attack percentage. Maddie Zwicki amassed 39 assists and three aces and Brittany Tyack led the squad with five blocks.

Cortland trailed 17-13 in the first set before storming ahead with an 8-1 run that featured two blocks by Roberts and two McGuirk aces. The Red Dragons eventually ended the set on a Nicole Silberer (Centereach) kill.

New Paltz posted attack percentages over .400 in each of the next two sets. The Hawks overcame a 13-12 deficit in the second set with an 8-1 run on its way to a 25-16 decision, and used a 6-1 run to turn an 11-8 lead into a 17-9 margin in the third set. In the fourth set, Cortland led 6-2 early and was ahead 12-11 before New Paltz gained control. The Hawks went up 21-13 on a Meg Kinee ace and then withstood a Cortland comeback.

The Red Dragons fought back to within 22-19 on a run that ended with two Patora kills, a Czeczotka ace and a Courtney Silberer kill. Cortland eventually got as close as 23-21 and 24-22, but New Paltz's final two points came on service errors.